BANDMASTER W.A. ELLIOTT, LRAM, ARCM
History taken from his Army Records and documentation

My father was born on 3rd November 1902 in Lahore, India. His father
was the Station Master at Lahore Station working for the East India
Railway. By the time my father was born his father had died. Reason
not known.

My father died on11th November 1973 and could not have died on a more
fitting day than Armistice Day. His departure from the Lancashire Fusiliers
was premature due to the partition of India in 1947. He had another
13 years to serve and never accepted life as a civilian.

His records show that he enlisted in Karachi, India, in 1919 with the
Duke of Wellingtons and went on various postings abroad until he joined
the Lancashire Fusiliers in Tientsin, China, in 1935 as a Bandmaster.
Also during those intervening years 1923-1932 he attended the Royal
Military School of Music, Kneller Hall, where he gained the LRAM and
ARCM. He also won the coveted ILES CUP for the best original composition
for brass bands which was presented to him at the Banquet of the Court
of the Worshipful Company of Musicians by the Master, Sir Ian Marsh,
KCMG., DL., JP., on the 15th May 1931.

My father and mother married on 9th June 1924. The eldest son, William
Frank, was born in England 1925 followed by myself in 1932 then two
more sons who were also born in England. The next brother in line, Ronald
Ernest, was born in Tientsin 1938 followed by twins girl and boy in
Quetta 1940 and lastly a girl in Cawnpore 1943. In all, he had five
sons and three daughters.

He came back to England after partition in 1947 and served another two
years before leaving the Army in 1949.
He always taught music sometimes full time and sometimes part time.
Just before his death in 1973 he formed and conducted the Nottingham
Youth Orchestra and was justly proud when one of his outstanding pupils
won a place with the International Youth Orchestra.

China
1935 to 1938

. Band in Peking, China
do not know the occasion.

Sgts Mess Silver in the Mess Teintsin 1937"ILES CUP" is shown at the far
right hand end of the mantlepiece."

.
HMS Euryalus Bell
outside the barracks

Marching to Church Sunday with Choristers
following, Tientsin 1937

" Bandmasters from each of the three
concessions held in China
by the American, French and British governments.

Snow at the entrance to the barracks. Bitterly
cold. Tientsin is Northern China on the borders of Russia

Signed photo
RSM Edward Smith VC
to my father put your mouse on this photo to see it coloured

Bandmaster WA Elliott, LRAM, ARCM, and
RSM Edward Smith, VC

Hazel on a trike with Gwen Fig inside the
married quarters concession.
It was walled and gated.

Hazel sitting in a rickshaw which was taking
her to afternoon tea with an American family in the American quarters,
as my father was very friendly with many of the American Officers.
They loved the British families.

The Americans are also present at a party
- the extreme left hand girl being carried is Hazel. The other
children were also families within the contonment.

1940 - Quetta - First fall of snow
for over a century. L to R Hazel Elliott, Freddie Jones, Beth
Parker and Mary ?
This snow was on the parade ground/football ground. The barracks
are in the background and on the far right is the cookhouse which
had three chimneys.
It was nicknamed "The Queen Mary"

1941 - Quetta - Wilf Jaggard.
He was a Band Sergeant in my father's band in China, Tientsin.

2nd India Tour1945

1945 - Lucknow - Band and Drums

1945 Lucknow - My father put on a Variety
Show in Lucknow - dancing, singing and recitals. I did a tap dance
dressed in Army
Uniform.

Circa 1947 - My eldest brother William Frank, followed in my father's
footsteps with a Military career starting in the Irish Guards
and
then going to OCTU and joining the Royal Artillery eventually
becoming a Captain.